1866.] IRON SMELTERS AND BLACKSMITHS. 147 



founder and smith are always united, and boys taught to be 

 smiths in Europe or India would find themselves useless if 

 unable to smelt the ore. A good portion of the trees of the 

 country have been cut down for charcoal, and those which 

 now spring up are small ; certain fruit trees alone are left. 

 The long slopes on the undulating country, clothed with 

 fresh foliage, look very beautiful. The young trees alternate 

 with patches of yellow grass not yet burned ; the hills are 

 covered with a thick mantle of small green trees with, as 

 usual, large ones at intervals. The people at Kalumbi, on 

 the Mando (where we spent four days), had once a stockade 

 of wild fig (Ficus Indica) and euphorbia round their village, 

 which has a running rill on each side of it; but the trees 

 which enabled them to withstand a siege by Mazitu fell 

 before elephants and buffaloes during a temporary absence 

 of the villagers ; the remains of the stockade are all around 

 it yet. Lions sometimes enter huts by breaking through 

 the roof : elephants certainly do, for Ave saw a roof destroyed 

 by one ; the only chance for the inmates is to drive a spear 

 into the belly of the beast while so engaged. 



A man came and reported the Mazitu to be at Chanyan- 

 dula's village, where we are going. The headman advised 

 remaining at his village till we saw whether they came this 

 way or went by another path. The women were sent away, 

 but the men went on with their employments ; two pro- 

 ceeded with the building of a furnace on an anthill, where 

 they are almost always placed, and they keep a look-out 

 while working. We have the protection of an all-embracing 

 Providence, and trust that He, whose care of His people 

 exceeds all that our utmost self-love can attain, will shield 

 us and make our way prosperous. 



16th November. — An elephant came near enough last 

 night to scream at us, but passed on, warned, perhaps, 

 by the shouting of the villagers not to meddle with man. 

 No Mazitu having come, we marched on and crossed the 



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